The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Jonathan reassures ‘youthful entrepreneurs’ of government’s support

    Jonathan reassures ‘youthful entrepreneurs’ of government’s support

    President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday pledged assistance to Nigerian youths by developing their skills and business expertise to become entrepreneurs of international ranking.

    The President made the pledge after inspecting some products manufactured by the first batch of 1,200 Nigerian youths who benefitted from the “YOU-WIN Programme” introduced by his administration.

    Jonathan said he was impressed by the products manufactured by the youths and displayed for inspection by members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) before their weekly meeting.

    The President reiterated his administration’s commitment to build a country that the future generation would be proud of.

    “The concept of YOUWIN is to build entrepreneurs that will start from the scratch, develop their skills and their business acumen and grow them to the known larger business in the world.

    “Some of the big names we are hearing started this way.

    “Very few people get into their business in a big way but most times they collapsed because they didn’t know how to grow businesses.

    “We are quite impressed by what you have done so far,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the president as saying during the inspection.

    He stressed that the era of `godfatherism’, where some Nigerians secured opened-up opportunities by government, without merit, was over.

    “The country should be the godfather of everybody. The government should be the godfather of every Nigerian.

     

  • More than 100 bandits killed in Langtang – STF Commander

    The Special Task Force maintaining the peace in Plateau State killed “more than 100’’ of the bandits that attacked Lantang villages last week, according to its Commander, Brig. Gen. Henry Ayoola.

    “The latest number of attackers that fell to our fireworks in the counter gun duel is more than 100. We really devastated them because we circled them up from various angles. They have never been so hit.

    “STF troops deployed to Magama had first engaged them before they were later supported by additional troops that came from Shndam,’’ Ayoola told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Wednesday.

    Other villages hit by the attackers included Bolgong and Karkashi.

    Ayoola said that two of the attackers were injured and had been arrested and handed over to the State Security Services.

    He said that many of the corpses had disappeared because the assailants were always quick to evacuate their dead ones.

    “We found that most of the attackers were not even Nigerians; also, many of them wore talismans and all manners of things over their bodies,’’ he added.

    Ayoola wondered what had happened to some Nigerians’ sense of patriotism if they could bring fighters from outside the nation to kill their fellow compatriots.

    The Commander, however, disputed reports attributed to a politician, which claimed that 70 villagers had been killed by the invaders.

    “The official is not in a position to confirm the number of casualties. You remember the council chairman had said that 32 people were confirmed killed. You also remember that we confirmed that only 20 villagers were killed.

    “After the weekend, there has not been any new attack so where is the additional number of casualties coming from?’’ he asked.

     

  • 15,000 fleeing Nigerians return from Cameroun

    About 15,000 Nigerians who fled to the neighbouring Republic of Cameroun as a result of intense military operations against Boko Haram insurgents in Borno, on Wednesday agreed to return home.

    The Nigerians, mostly from Gwoza Local Government Area of the state fled the country a week ago following renewed military operations against insurgents in the area.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the communities included Ashigashiya, Ngoshe and Parawa.

    Leaders of the communities told the state Deputy Governor Alhaji Mustapha Zanna who visited them that, they fled to save their lives.

    One of the leaders, Alhaji Abdu Ashigashiya, explained that they had to leave as they were not sure of getting protection from security agents.

    He told the deputy governor that 11 members of the community were killed in questionable circumstances before they decided to flee from their villages.

    “So, we began to fear that sooner or later the killing will spread,” he said.

    Another elder from Ngoshe village, Malam Siddiki Ali, said the community had never harboured any terrorist.

    “Historically, members of our communities have lived in harmony for many years without religious crisis. So, we were shocked by the soldiers’ invasion.”

    Responding, the deputy governor urged them to return home, assuring that the government and security agencies would protect them.

     

  • WYC: We fought bravely – Obuh

    Nigeria U-20 coach, John Obuh, has said his team put up a good fight only to crash out of the World Cup in Turkey to Uruguay on Tuesday night.

    “Despite playing a man short for half of the match, we fought a good fight,” declared Obuh.

    “The match has been won and lost and we accept the loss in good faith.”

    He added: “Our target at this tournament was not to leave the stage this early but I hope the next coach will take it from where I stopped.

    “What is very certain is that Nigeria is a football nation blessed with a lot of talent. The players only have a focus and they will be world beaters.”

    MTNFootball.com reports that the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Aminu Maigari commended the fighting spirit of the team, urging them to not allow this setback affect the bright future that awaits them.

    “We wish to commend your performance against Uruguay, but unfortunately one team has to win and another has to lose,” he told the team.

    “You did your best and went out there to win but it was not meant to be.

    “You should learn from the mistakes you made so that next time we will go all the way.”

    Nigeria fell behind after 64 minutes when Nicolas Lopez slotted home after goalkeeper Samuel Okani failed to deal with a free kick from the left.

    Olanrewaju Kayode drew Nigeria level in the 69th minute when he let fly from just outside the box.

    And moments later, Michael Olaitan saw his effort crash against the side netting.

    Okani pulled off a big save in the 56th minute and Nigeria created a number of chances thereafter before Uruguay regained the lead from the penalty spot through Lopez in the 84th minute after Wilfred Ndidi had fouled a goal-bound Diego Rolan.

    Nigeria began to play with a man short after 40 minutes when fullback Shehu Abdullahi was sent off for a double-footed tackle on Diego Laxalt.

    It was a cagey start by both teams as they tried to settle down.

     

  • Cuba removes senior Communists

    Cuban leader Raul Castro has removed several senior Communists from the party’s powerful Central Committee, BBC reports.

    They include former parliament speaker and foreign minister Ricardo Alarcon, a close ally of ex-leader Fidel Castro.

    Mr. Castro said those leaving had not made any mistakes or committed any crimes. He said the changes marked a normal course of events.

    Mr. Alarcon, 76, one of Cuba’s most visible politicians, had been a member of the committee since 1992.

    He stepped down as speaker in February.

    Among the four others removed were Jose Miguel Miyar Barruecos, 81, who was secretary of the Council of State for three decades, and Misael Enamorado, 60, the party chief in Santiago de Cuba.

    Mr. Castro played down the significance of the move in comments broadcast on state television.

    “There’s a door you come in through; there’s a door you go out, without it meaning anything negative,” he said.

    Raul Castro became Cuba’s leader when his elder brother stepped down in 2008. In February he was elected to a second five-year term, which he said would be his last.

     

  • No Nigerian should die from HIV/AIDS – Jonathan

    No Nigerian should die from HIV/AIDS – Jonathan

    President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday declared that it is unacceptable for any Nigerian to die from HIV/AIDS in the country.

    To this end, he ordered 100 percent scale up against HIV/AIDS to prevent any Nigerian from dying as a result of HIV/AIDS in the next few months.

    He gave the directive during the meeting on the President’s HIV/AIDS Emergency Response Plan (PERP) for 2013 to 2015 at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    According to the plan presented by the Director General of National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA), Prof. John Idoko, at the meeting, Nigeria needs N377.5 billion to achieve universal access of 80 percent coverage.

    But Jonathan disagreed with the 80 percent target as he wondered what will happen to the remaining 20 percent not provided for.

    He said: “As a President of this country, I don’t want any Nigerian to die of HIV/AIDS. If 80 percent is the global target, what is the fate of the remaining 20 per cent? Should they die?

    “Our target back home here is to manage 100 percent. We have to look for ways to fund it. We must make sure that the 100 percent Nigerians that need attention, get the attention. As a government, our target should be 100 percent.”

    Noting that it may be late to save the lives of some critically-ill HIV/AIDS patients, he said that the comprehensive plan should be able to prevent deaths among Nigerian patients from the next few months.

    “I have been here at the centre here for about six years as the Vice President, Acting President and President and the statistics sometimes don’t show any improvement,” he added.

    Worried that more Nigerian soldiers on missions abroad could be dying from HIV/AIDS than bullets, he said: “If we are sending troops outside, especially those who will stay for more than a week, we must make sure that we also protect them so that their children don’t become orphans few years later.”

    “We need to prepare them and not just buying bullet proof vests for them,” the president stated.

     

     

  • Minister rules out state police

    Minister rules out state police

    Nigeria cannot have state police until the existing central policing system is stabilised, Police Affairs Minister, Caleb Olubolade has said.

    Olubolade stated this while briefing the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday.

    “I believe we should first stabilise the existing police before considering the creation of state police. We should wait till the time the Nigerian people and the National Assembly see the need for the establishment of a state police.

    “My candid opinion is that we must make the present arrangement work before we talk of introducing new methods.

    “The existing police must be trained and properly equipped so that we can be proud of the police we have. Our policemen are good and they have demonstrated this during peace keeping operations in other countries,” Olubolade stated.

    According to the minister, the Federal Government is presently focusing attention on training and equipping the police for effective policing, adding that crime fighting has become scientific.

    “Fighting crime globally has become scientific and we need qualified people who can fight crimes through intelligence gathering,” he added.

    Olubolade told the party leaders that the police authorities have been working towards upgrading the existing police institutions nationwide.

    He appealed to Nigerians to assist the police in the duty of protecting lives and property.

     

     

  • Why insecurity thrives in north – Muslim leaders

    Muslim leaders in the north on Tuesday said the inability of religious adherents to stand up to their responsibility in terms of teaching and disseminating sound knowledge and giving effective leadership and social responsibility was partly responsible for the current security challenges in the country.

    The Islamic leaders also appeal to members of the Boko Haram sect to accept the offer of amnesty being offered by the Presidential committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution on the security challenges in the region.

    In a communiqué issued at the end of a conference on the role of Muslim scholars in fostering unity, peace and security organized by the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), they also blamed the government for abdicating its responsibility by failing to prosecute those found to have perpetuated acts of violence in the country.

    The communiqué which was signed by the Chairman of the drafting committee, Prof. S. Junaidu and the Secretary General of JNI, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu also frown at the increasing cases of corruption in the country and asked government to do everything possible to address the situation.

    The communiqué reads in part: “The prevailing security challenges are partly as a result of the individual and collective inability of the Ulama’ to stand up to their responsibility in terms of teaching and disseminating sound knowledge and giving effective leadership in community and social responsibility.

    “That government’s refusal to institute judicial process of inquiry or prosecution as the case may be, against people arrested and are accused of perpetrating violence is an abdication of cardinal leadership responsibility that smacks of insensitivity in governance.

    “”That since unity of Muslims is a cardinal obligation, the Conference implored the scholars to uphold, foster and promote it and that scholars must stand up to their rightful position as heirs of the Prophets to shun vices and tread the path of piety and righteousness in order to discharge their obligation of guiding the Ummah duly and effectively, especially as it pertains to the issue of unity.”

     

  • Rangers thrown out of Confeds Cup

    Rangers thrown out of Confeds Cup

    Nigeria’s Enugu Rangers has been kicked out of the CAF Confederations Cup after fielding an ineligible player against Sfaxien of Tunisia, MTNFootball.com reports.

    According to an official statement by the Confederation of African Football, goalkeeper Daniel Emmanuel was not properly registered for the competition, but was fielded by Rangers during matches against the Tunisians.

    Rangers won the first leg in Enugu 1-0 and held the Tunisians to a goalless draw in the return fixture.

    Sfaxien has thus replaced Rangers in Group A of the Confederations Cup.

    The other teams in the group are Stade Malien of Mali, Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia and Saint Georges from Ethiopia.

     

  • How concessionaires shortchanged FAAN – Spokesman

    How concessionaires shortchanged FAAN – Spokesman

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said on Tuesday that most of the airport concessions agreements signed between the authority and some firms several years ago were packaged by some persons in government to liquidate the agency.

    FAAN, according to its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr. Yakubu Dati, has embarked on revocation of some of the concessions to keep its operations afloat.

    Dati listed the concession agreements that skewed the interest of its 34,000 workers to include the build, operate and transfer agreement between it and Bi- Courtney Aviation Services Limited and the airport operations management system, signed with Maevis Limited as well as Terminal Zero.

    FAAN, he said had to stop the lopsided concession agreements which were aimed at stifling it out of existence and hand the parastatal over to individuals who had connection at the high places in the Presidency at the time.

    The spokesman said the concession agreements were forced on the agency by the highest political body in the country at the time.

    Dati stated that the activities of FAAN was at that time being directed by the Presidency and as a government organ, the management of the agency did not have any choice but to abide by the directive on the agreement, even though it was grossly tilted against its interest and the people of Nigeria.